John a



Wenonah) 2 sh'e'ts sneet 2.

' J. A. WESER.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 570,582. Patented Nov-.3118Q6.

FIG. I3.I"IG. 74.

FIG 4. FIG. 5. FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 FIG. 8. F/6 9 I *1. 1 1

7 INVENTOR:

By his Attorneys,

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. IVESER, OF NFIW YORK, N. Y.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,582, dated November3, 1896.

Application filed May 21, 1896. $erial No. 592,410. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concerm:

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. ESER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to string instruments, such as pianofortes, andto harmonic devices therefor.

Ileretofore in pianofortes, either with or without the well-knowntone-modifyin g mechanism, such as the damper-lifter, the movablehammer-rest, and the muflier, it has been customary to use additionalharmonic devices in the form of strikers movable into the path of thehammers to be driven by the latter against the strings to producepeculiar effects, and also vibrators movable into vibratory proX imityto the strings and vibrated therewith to produce distinctive toniceffects. Various devices, either resonant or metallic or nonresonant, asfelt, have been employed in this connection, the object being toincrease the scope of the instrument and permit modifications of thetone to correspond to the requirements of the composition beingexecuted, or to develop effects resembling those obtainable from othermusical instruments or simultaneously obtainable from a number ofdifferent instruments. I

My present invention aims to provide an improved device or attachmentfor string instruments which can be advantageously used either as astriker or vibrator and which is especially advantageous for the formerpurpose, and an attachment of this character which shall be moreeffective in use to create the desired tonic effect than have been thoseheretofore employed and which will not impair the striking-faces of thehammers when used therewith.

To this end in carrying out my present invention in its preferred formas adapted for a striker for pianofortes I provide a striker consistingof resonant or metallic and nonrcsonant cushioning or felt portionsopposing the metallic portions of the striker to the strings to contacttherewith at two separated points, and disposing the felt portion tocontact with the strings at one or more points, preferablyintermediateof the metallic points 011 the string side of the striker, and toreeeive the major portion of the blow from the hammer on the hammer sideof the striker, and I preferably form the striker of substantiallyannular form and of elastic metal under tension, as, for example, of adouble coil or convolution of spring metal, the axis ofwhich is at rightangles or approximately so to the strings, inserting the felt betweenthe convolutions of this coil to obtain the desired torsional strainthereon and to connect the parts together, and inclosing an additionalfelt pad within the coil at the hammer side thereof.

I also provide certain other features of improvement, which will behereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate certain adaptations of mypresent improvements, Figure l is a fragmentary vertical section of apiano'forte, showing the strings and action and the preferred form of myimproved attachment in the act of striking the string. Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing the attachment raised to the inactive position andthe hammer retracted. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section showingthe strings and attachment in frontelevation, the latter beingin thedepressed or active position, the view being cut on the line 3 3 inFig. 1. Fig. -:t is a view of the string-face of the preferred form ofattachment shown as employed for the base-strings. Fig. 5 is an edgeview thereof, and Fig. 6 is a vertical section thereof. Fig. 7 is a viewof the stringface of the preferred form of attachment shown as employedfor the treble-strings of the instrument. Fig. 8 is an edge viewthereof, and Fig. 9 is a vertical section thereof. Fig. 10 is a frontelevation of the metallic portion of the striker shown in Fig. 4, andFig. 11 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 12 is a horizontal section ofthe striker shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 13 is an edge view of a modified formof striker, and Fig. 1. is a vertical section thereof.

Referring to the drawings, let A represent a musical instrument; 1; andB, the bass and treble strings thereof; 0 and O, the strikers thereof;D,a striker-bar or movable frame carrying the strikers; E, the side barsof this frame; F, guides for these bars; G, actionposts; 11, guide-pinsthereon; I, guides connecting the striker-frame to these pins; J, thehammers; K, the action-frame, and L the hammer-rest. In their generalfeatures these parts are of well-known construction and operation, theparts shown being taken as examples, for which any other known orsuitable parts may be substituted.

As usual in pianofortes, the strikers C (1 are pendent objects movableinto and out of the path of the hammers and arranged when in that pathto be struck by the correspondin g hammer and thereby moved against thecorresponding string to give the desired effect from the latter. 'Whenthe strikers are removed from the path of the hammers, they areinactive, and theinstrument can be used in dependently of them. They canbe moved into and out of action at will by raising or lowering theirframe or rail D, as usual, and they can be, as an attachment, removedfrom or applied to the instrument by disconnecting or connecting theirrail D to the rods E or in any other suitable manner, as heretofore.

According to my present invention the striker itself is provided withvarious features of improvement, and the character of striker ispreferably also varied for different portions of the instument.

The preferred construction of striker is shown in detail in Figs. 4, 5,6, 10, and 11, and at the left-hand side of Fig. 3, and is shown in theactive and inactive positions in Figs. 1 and 2. In this construction thestriker consists of an active portion M and a supporting portion N. Thesupporting portion is preferably non-resonant, and consists of a stripof felt or other suitable material extending from the top to the bottomof the striker and attached near its upper en d to the rail D. Thestriking port-ion is preferably formed of a resonant member 0 ofsubstantially annular contour, having two striking points a and l) andintermediate connecting portions 0 and 0, within which portions is ahollow or space (Z, within which is located some suitable cushioning ornon-resonant material, preferably the face 6 0f the strip N. The part 0is shown as an elastic spiral wire, between the convolutions of whichthe lower end of the strip N is grasped, so that the spiral is underelastic tension proportioned to the thickness of the strip and itsconvolutions on each side of the latter are substantially parallel,being joined by the angular portion 0 of the wire, near which the end ofeach eonvolution is a free end f. If desired, the striker may be used asthus described with either face toward the strings and the other towardthe hammers, but I prefer to employ an additional cushionP at the hammerside of the striker, preferably constructing this cushion of a flat diskof felt fitting within the space (l in the wire, glued to the strip N,and proj ecting outwardly slightly beyond the wire. This cushionreceives the blow from the hammer and saves the felted face thereoffrom. direct or violent contact with the hard or me tallic part of thestriker, while it also suffices to bulge the face 6 of the stripoutwardly toward the strings under the pressure of the hammer-blow, andthus gives a mnffling or dampening effect 011 the action of the strikeragainstthestrings. ihisbulgingisindicated in dotted lines in Fig. (5.

The striker as thus constructed acts on the strings with the effect ofhaving two strikingpoints which, when its hammer-face is arranged nearlyin direct line with the blow of the hammer and as it is moved by thelatter toward the strings, will assume an inclined position by reason ofeither the action of the hammer on it or the swing of the pendent stripN, so that the one striking-point will first touch the strings, as shownin Fig. 1, the other will then be almost simultaneously thrown againstthe strings, and instantly the force of the hammer against the pad Iwill cause the felt face 12 to bulge inwardly into contact with thestrings. Immediately the rebound of the hammer will permit the return ofthe striker, but during the peculiar combination and nature of contactsincident to its action on the strings the striker as thus constructedwill have produced an effect most peculiar and satisfactory for anattachment of this kind and well suited to production of tone-effects inimitation of other instruments.

The striker described has been used most successfully for producing notonly imitations of mandolins, citherns, and guitars, but also forproducing imitations of the harp and of violintuning, the imitationsbeing so true as to be very effective. If desired, the strikers of thischaracter may be used throughout all. or any portions of the instrument,but I prefer to vary the striker for different portions of theinstrument and to employ, for example, the form shown in Figs. 7, S, 9,and 12 and at the right hand in Fig. 3 for the treble or a part of thetreble strings. In this form the striker lettered G consists of a stripN of felt and a striking portion M, the latter having a metallic orresonant striker O and a non-resonant or cushion striker Q. The strikerO is a narrow bent metal plate having an outwardly-bent striking-face gand inwardly-bent ends 71, which latter pass through the cushion Q andare flush with the inner face thereof, both, being there connected tothe strip N by being glued thereto. The cushion Q is shown as a disk offelt having a slight hollow i in its outer side, at which point thestriker O is exposed. In this construction the hammer strikes the rearface I of the strip, and in swinging the striker toward the string thecushion contacts first at bottom with the string, then at top therewith,and then as the cushion is compressed the metal piece 0' strikes thestring. The point at which the metal piece shall strike the string willbe determined by the outward adjust ment of this piece toward the outerface of the cushion.

\Vhen different constructions of strikers are employed, they will bedifferentiated according to the instrument with which. they are used orthe results desired.

Figs. 13 and let show a construction of striker designed to give adouble-striking and peculiarly-cushioned effect. In this construction,which in other respects is identical with that shown in Figs. 4, 5, and6, another pad of felt P is located within the cavity d at the stringside of the coil 0, so that this pad will first strike the strings orwill exert its damper effect earlier than would be the case if theadjacent face of the strip were relied on.

The improved strikers can be arranged in any suitable manner forattachment to an instrument and can be applied thereto to be operated asstrikers in the path of the hammers or to be operated as any otherharmonic provision by bringing them into suitable relation to thestrings.

It will be seen that my invention provides improvements which can bereadily and advantageously availed of, and it will be understood thatthe invention is notlimited to the particular details of construction,arrangement, or use herein. set forth as comprising its preferred form,since it may be availed of according to such modifications ascircumstances or the judgment of those skilled in the art may dictatewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

lVhat I claim is 1. For string instruments, a harmonic device consistingof a flexible support and a striker having a plurality of resonantstriking portions carried thereby for contacting with the strings of aninstrument, and an integral connecting part uniting said strikingportions.

2. A harmonic device for string instruments consisting of a support anda ring-like striker carried 011 and with its flat side toward saidsupport, having separated resonant striking portions and an intermediatenonresonant portion for contacting with the strings of an instrument.

3. A harmonic device for string instruments consisting of a swingingsupport, and a ring-like striker, having a plurality of strikingportions spaced apart, and connected together by an integral part, forcontacting with the strings of an instrument, said portions disposed tosuccessively contact with such strings when moved thereagainst.

4. A harmonic device for string instruments having an annular swingingstriker, having its axis coincident with its direction of swing and aflat striking portion for contacting with the strings of the instrument.

5. A harmonic device for string instrum ents having an elastic ring-likestriker, having its axis at right angles to the strings, and having astriking portion of resonant material for contacting with the strings ofsuch instrument.

(3. A harmonic device for string instruments comprising the combinationwith the strings of the instrument, of a convolution of spring-wire inproximity to such strings, and means supporting the wire in position tostrike the strings of such instrument.

7. A harmonic device for string instruments consisting of twoconvolutions of wire and a support therefor passing between saidconvolutions.

S. A harmonic device for string instruments consisting of twoconvolutions of spring-wire and a flexible support compressed betweensaid convolutions.

.l. A harmonic device for string instruments consisting of a resonantstriking portion and a support therefor, said striking portion havingtwo separated points for contacting with the strings of an instrument,an intervening part connecting and integral with said points, and anintermediate space between said points.

10. A harmonic device for string instruments consisting of a resonantpart having projecting points for contacting with the strings of aninstrument, an intervening part connecting and integral with saidpoints, a depression between said points, a non-resonant portion betweensaid points for contacting with the strings, and means for supportingsaid parts.

11. A harmonic device for string instruments consisting of a flexiblestrip having 011 one face in the path of the hammer a plurality of hardstriking portions separated and spaced apart and permitting said stripto flex between them, adapted to contact with the strings, and having011 its other face a soft cushioning portion between said strikingportions and adapted to receive the blow from the hammer, and thereby tobend said strip outwardly between said striking portion and against thestrings.

12. A striker for pianofortes consisting of a felt strip, a metal ringthereon, with its axis angular to the longitudinal extension of thestrip, and a cushioning-pad thereon.

13. A striker for pianofortes consisting of a flexible strip suspendedin front of the strings and having on its face adjacent thereto twostriking portions, the one annular and surrounding an axis angular tothe longitudinal extension of said strip, and the other within saidannular portion, one of said portions being resonant and the othernon-resonant.

14. In pianofortes and the like, a harmonic device suspended oppositethe strings of the instrument and consisting of a plurality of ring-likeobjects contacting with the strings to modify the tones producedthereby, said objects differentiated in construction for differentstrings of the instrument.

15. In pianofortes and the like, the strings, a striker-rail, and meansfor movingit, in combination with a plurality of strikers O and 0'carried by said rail opposite the strings, the striker C acting againstcertain of the strings IIO and having resonant portions first strikingIn witness whereof I have hereunto signed the latter and non-resonantportions subsemy name in the presence 0! two subscribing quentlyoontaetin g therewith, and the strikers witnesses.

C acting against other of the strings and hav- JOHN A. \VESICR. 5 ingeach a non-resonant portion first striking \Vitnesses:

the strings and a resonant portion suhse- GEORGE 1L FRASER,

quently acting against the latter. THOMAS F. VALLACE.

